Bawling grabs winner

First it was Lewis Young scoring his first Crawley goals in pre-season and now Bobson Bawling has found the target for Reds at the start of his third season with the club.

The popular utility player earned Reds a 2-1 win in their latest pre-season test against a Worthing side who gave as good as they got for spells of an entertaining game.

Jsson Banton put Crawley ahead their Ryman League opponents drew level through Harvey Sparkes before half-time. Bawling got the winner early in the second period and James Collins, one of eight second-half substitutes, hit the bar late on in what was a good workout for both teams.

The team was much changed from Saturday’s game against Brighton with only two of those who began against the Seagulls in the starting XI: Young and Josh Payne.

Goalkeeper Glenn Morris got his first start of pre-season while the bench included trialist Yalany Baio, a midfielder formerly of Liverpool and Sporting Lisbon who showed up well when he came on for the last half hour.

The temperature was still in the high 70s at kick off but the early pace was decent with Reds settling first.

Worthing keeper Rikki Banks made a comfortable save to keep out Banton’s shot before Bawling, who was playing up front in a 4-2-3-1 system, rolled a shot wide.

, who sold Banks a dummy before rolling the ball into an empty net.BantonReds went in front on 16 minutes after a bad mistake by Worthing midfielder Ross Edwards who was caught in possession on the edge of the box by

Banks then tipped Billy Clifford’s well struck free kick over as Crawley continued to dominate possession, either side of a fluid break midway through the half.

Worthing had offered little in attack but they then went close three times in the space of a minute through striker Reis Stanislaus.

He failed to keep a driven cross from Zack Newton down before Glenn Morris blocked his shot with his legs. Then, in their next attack, the ball was pulled back into Stanislaus’ path eight yards out but his effort lacked power and Josh Yorwerth hooked clear.

Reds responded through Bawling who ended a mazy run past three defenders by forcing Banks to push away his shot but Worthing were offering more of a threat too and Sparks forced Morris to push away his angled drive.

The visitors did draw level four minutes before the break. Newton raced into space down the right and pulled the ball back into the path of Sparks whose confident side-foot finish gave Morris no chance.

It was no more than Worthing deserved, having dominated since the water break and they nearly went in front before half-time when Morris had to push Sparks’ curling free kick over the bar at full stretch.

pounced on the loose ball and drove it into the bottom corner.BawlingReds regained the lead nine minutes into the second half. Banton’s shot was blocked by a defender but

minute and the tempo in the closing stages stepped up, but in contrast to the first period clear chances at either end were few and far between.thReds made eight changes between the hour mark and 70

But Collins was close to a third for Reds with five minutes to go when Jimmy Smith lifted a ball over the Rebels’ defence and Collins rattled the corner of post and crossbar with a powerful volley.